Cardiff surfer statue

The statue of a surfer in Cardiff has suffered many indignities since it went up on South Coast Highway in 2007. It even got dolled up for the royal wedding, but still called a "kook."
The statue, called "Magic Carpet Ride," was made by artist Matthew Antichevich. The Cardiff Botanical Society paid most of the $120,000 cost. To the dismay of both patrons and artist, it was greeted less than enthusiastically by a local surf crowd that thought it missed the mark on capturing a surfer.
Since then it's been dressed in a tutu, as a tennis player, as Zorro, and even nearly swallowed by a giant wood and paper mache great white shark in a fairly continuous if random series of pranks.
These photos show just some of the outfits the poor fellow has had inflicted upon him. If you have photos of the other pranks, email us at <a href="mailto:utphotos@utsandiego.com">utphotos@utsandiego.com</a>

"Magic Carpet Ride" by artist Matthew Antichevich was the first public sculpture to honor surfers in San Diego County, but local surfers derisively dubbed it the "Cardiff Kook."
— / UNION-TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

The "Cardiff Kook" statue on S. Coast Highway 101 at Chesterfield Drive is dressed up as the "Surfing Madonna" mosaic with a sign around its neck urging the replacement of the Encinitas City Council.
— Charlie Neuman

Cardiff Kook: A bronze statue in Cardiff of a boy learning to surf is seen Dec. 23 dressed up as a Santa’s Elf. The $120,000 sculpture called the Magic Carpet Ride — and known commonly as the “Cardiff Kook” — ...
— Charlie Neuman

In 2009, the hapless statue was done up in a costume mocking the stand-up paddle surfers who have become a familiar site at local breaks. (Floppy hat, zinc-oxide on the nose and a broom for a paddle.)
— Tom Mallory

In a less derisive prank, "Magic Carpet Ride" was given a wreath of briars on his head and a cross behind his slumped profile made him look much like Christ on the cross for Easter 2009.
— Peggy Peattie

Barret Dunn of Cardiff takes a picture of his friend Michael Duke of Point Loma imitating the pose of the surfer statue that has been the target of pranksters, most recently with the massive shark snout that seems to be ...
— David Brooks

Saturday June 25th 2011 Cardiff, San Diego CA USA- Michael Jackson fans dance to Thriller after dressing-up the Cardiff "kook" as the "Gloved One" on the second anniversary of his death. Photo by David Brooks / Union-Tribune MANDATORY PHOTO CREDIT: ...
— David Brooks

5K runners in the Cardiff Kook 5K and 10K Run, dressed like flamingos, approach the finish line. The money raised from the event will help preserve and enhance the area around the iconic statue on South Coast Highway 101 at ...
— Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego